Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Peppermint Oil - Essay Example

Though IBS is rarely associated with any mortality, patients with the irritable bowel syndrome often have poorer quality of life due to its chronic, relapsing nature, increased morbidity and higher health care utilization than persons without the disorder. Although the cause of the disorder is not fully understood, manometric studies have shown that disordered bowel motility may be responsible for causing some of the symptoms. Diagnostic Criteria for IBS as described by Thompson et al (1999) is as follows: conventional therapy, comprising of dietary changes like increasing dietary fibre intake, etc, and drugs such as anticholinergics, antispasmodics, and sedatives is often not significantly effective and may not be tolerated by the patient due to the presence of side effects.

Until the precise cause of IBS is understood, treatment would be symptomatic and not curative and would aim at relieving symptoms. In a review of randomized, controlled trials regarding the most optimum therapeutic option for IBS by Jaiwala, Imperiale &, Krroenke (2000), no convincing evidence to support the efficacy of any medication currently being used for IBS was found. In fact the reviewers were unable to reach any significant conclusion as many studies considered in the review suffered from significant flaws in their methodology.

Some of the most commonly used therapeutic options in the patients with IBS include, smooth-muscle relaxants, which are beneficial when abdominal pain is the predominant symptom, bulking agents are used for constipation and anti-motility agents like loperamide for diarrhea. Presently the evidence supports the efficacy of smooth-muscle relaxants in patients whose predominant symp